Rise of the New God Session 16
The sixteenth session of Rise of the New God Preceded by Rise of the New God Session 15 The shadowy shapes become clear and the party finds themselves facing a half-elf, a shifter, a human, and a deva. The other group moves to attack, but Pronefest notices some odd things about the group. They have insignias of a hammer crushing a skull and they seem resigned to attack. Pronefest decides to try and negotiate and talk with the opposing group. They take a few hits but are able to convince the Skull Breakers to halt fighting and talk with them. When they hear that Pronefest's goal is to enter the tomb and destroy Acererak, they stop attacking. They lead the heroes to a hideout with a few other humanoids inside. The Skull Breakers turn out to have been past adventurers who were defeated by the tomb and managed to escape with their lives. Krusk learns some new fighting moves, K'Artanyik upgrades his armor and Pronefest continues to the skull. They enter the tomb and find themselves in a small hallway; Ildirin recalls that it looks exactly like the hallway he experienced in one of his visions in the Garden of Graves. The adventurers proceed through the only door they can see, avoiding the many pits and find another small hallway. Bûrzum is able to find a secret door that opens into a small room. After finding many rooms like this through concealed doors, they eventually emerge into a larger hallway. Ildirin and Mindartis investigate one room with piles of splintered wood, but find nothing of note. The rest of Pronefest had proceeded through a passageway and find a fairly large room with many stone pews facing an altar and two statues. When anyone entered the room, they would perceive ghostly voices and the walls would appear to turn into a white marble. Pronefest investigates the altar and statues, but again nothing of any particular note is discovered. They depart from the room and find another hallway with many already ajar doors. They can also see that there are deep pits immediately after the doors. They investigate the pits and see that there is an opening in the wall in the bottom of one pit. K'Artanyik investigates the rest of the hallway, but it is caved in a short distance away. They backtrack to the pit and head through the opening. After a little more traveling, the heroes see a room with a mummified body on the floor, a table with many containers, numerous coffins, and other equipment. Bûrzum decides to charge the body, phasing through a wall and delivering a hefty blow. The mummy rises and Pronefest turns it and other bodies that emerge from the coffins into dust. They investigate the table and find fluids and equipment used for embalming bodies. They head through a dusty library and go down another level through the tomb. The next level contains more hallways. Bûrzum first investigates a doorway closest to them on the right; he can see nothing in the darkness beyond, but the sound of metal scraping on metal dissuades them from any closer investigation. They head down a different passageway and find a room with an island surrounded by water. The room is also heavily shrouded in mist and as Krusk looks in the room, an eladrin woman launches an attack on him. Ildirin is separated from the rest of the group as he goes back to try and see if he can discern any magic beyond the dark doorway, but perceives nothing. Pronefest moves to attack her, but as they stand in the mist, they feel their minds being attacked and twisted by the room. The eladrin woman is able to use her control of the water to shove all of Pronefest, except Ildirin, deep into the room. The party manages to land some good hits on the eladrin, but their minds are not the most resilient against the room and Bûrzum is eventually conquered by the mist. He starts using all of his strength and power to slaughter his former companions. Bûrzum sees Mindartis vulnerable and prone after a powerful wave attack from the eladrin woman and charges him, wounding him deeply. Krusk, under temporary control of the mists, punches Mindartis; shattering his skull and piercing his brain, killing him instantly. The situation looks quite bleak, but Krusk and K'Artanyik are able to avoid being completely dominated by the room and eventually they wear the eladrin down, with Krusk landing the finishing blow and escaping the room while heavily bleeding. Ildirin blasts Bûrzum with lightning, weakening him heavily; K'Artanyik manages to knock Bûrzum unconscious with the a flat side of his gythka before being dominated again. Ildirin is able to perceive magical runes on the wall, though it was difficult through the mist and uses his arcane knowledge disrupt their magical effects. K'Artanyik and Bûrzum manage to shake of the dominating effects of the room and the party, greatly battered by the encounter decided they should attempt to temporarily attempt to retreat from the tomb. Followed by Rise of the New God Session 17 Recording *Part 1 -Bûrzum briefly turns evil, and almost murders everyone.